Losing weight on a budget

[Libz80]

Hey! As with many people these days we don't have 'extra' money for me to get 'diet' food. How does everyone else manage to shop on a budget!

[Hidden]

A good option is to buy frozen veg, it’s a damn sight cheaper.

[RG07 Maintainer]

Do you like cooking? I bake the majority of my meals or sauces from scratch- cook enough for 4 then divide them up and freeze them and defrost as and when, adding rice, pasta or couscous or whatever once they are defrosted. If you are not into cooking maybe get a basic cook book and start have the occasional home cooked meal and gradually decrease ready meals. Though I don't eat meat I am sure I have read somewhere that you can use cheaper cuts of meat in a slow cooker and it makes them less tough because of the way its cooked- mind you, you have to have a slow cooker in the first place

[YellowRose55]

Hi Libz80

I live off a tight budget and have been able to lose over 5st so it can be done. I don't buy pre cooked diet meals I cook every thing fresh. If you look in the supermarkets a lot of them have the fruit and veg in season at low prices so try and stick to what is in season as it is cheaper.

[Hidden]

If I see reduced meat that's going out of date that day, I buy it and freeze it. I bulk out meaty meals with lots of vegetables, and add lentils to bolognese. I plan several meat free evening meals a week. I cook our meals from scratch, apart from the very occasional shop bought pizza.

[Pineapple27]

Beans, pulses, vegetables.... all fairly cheap and filling and nutritious!

I think I spend less on food now as I cook a lot from scratch and most of what I eat is bulky vegetables that fill me up!

[Libz80]

Thank you for the replies! I have a slow cooker will have to get it dusted off and start using it again!

[lucigret in reply to Libz80]

Slow cookers are wonderful. Cheap cuts of meat will be tasty and tender. You can also make big batches of food and have your own frozen ready meals.

You don't have to buy 'diet' food. In fact you shouldn't, diet food is not good for you, it usually has a lot of sugar, especially yoghurts. Full fat versions are best. Use proper butter, not 'light' spreads and use olive oil/coconut oil to cook with.

If you like fish, which can be expensive, take a look at the 'reduced' section in your supermarket. I often get my fish here. Sometimes it takes me a few visits to get what I want for a fish pie. I just buy a bit each week and freeze until I have enough.

[xvanillaskyx]

In addition to all these fab points (some of which I will be pinching ☺️) I find if I plan every meal, breakfasts, lunches & dinners for the week I spend a lot less, I do this when I'm doing my weekly shop online so I can base the meals on what I'm able to buy that's on offer at the time.

[lucigret in reply to xvanillaskyx]

Really good tip, I always plan a menu for the week.

[Hidden]

Further to the above, I tend to batch cook and freeze lots of meals/veg then it’s an easy meal if you’re home alone or not planned for the day. Also reuse/freeze the leftovers from any meals, rather than in the bin, or as a second portion!

[kiwikyd-nz in reply to Hidden]

I don't tend to have a lot of leftovers, but when I do I freeze them then every now and again just take them all out and put them in one pot. Have had some great tasting bitsa meals that way